DETERMINATION OF OIL AND GREASE IN WASTE-WATER BY SOLID-PHASE EXTRACTION

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) protocols were developed for the determin ation of oil and grease in waste water. SPE was found to be an efficie nt alternative to standard methods. Both synthetically spiked samples and environmentally contaminated samples were examined. Analysis times and organic solvent consumption were decreased by the SPE procedure c ompared with liquid-liquid extraction (LLE). Recovery and variability studies of environmentally contaminated samples indicated that SPE res ults using methylene chloride as an extractant were comparable to thos e obtained by continuous liquid-liquid extraction using a chlorofluoro carbon (CFC). Extractions performed by manually shaken separating funn el LLE with CFCs were found to be matrix dependent when compared with SPE results. Suitable alternative elution solvent systems for SPE, inc luding hexane, hexane-diethyl ether, ethyl acetate and methyl tert-but yl ether, were also examined.